Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, California

5 Theme Parks for Halloween Thrills and Chills

Amusement parks offer more than enough thrills most of the year, but these places truly get wild during Halloween.

Combining the exhilaration of nail-biting rides with costumed characters, candy for kids and a few spooks for adults, these theme parks highlight all the fun of this beloved holiday.

HalloWeekends at Cedar Point — Sandusky, Ohio

Boasting Halloween events as exciting as its sky-high roller coasters, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio (185 kilometers south of Detroit, Michigan), offers festive fun for all ages on weekends throughout October. During the day, Cedar Point’s Great Pumpkin Fest features character appearances from the classic “Peanuts” cartoon, a kid-friendly haunted house, mazes and trick-or-treating for mini candy bars around the park. After dark, Cedar Point transforms into The Haunt, a ghoulish event with dim lights, fog machines and scary costumed characters lurking around corners. Don’t miss the haunted corn maze, a meandering jaunt through the woods filled with witches and zombies.

Roller coasters aren’t the only thrilling attractions at Cedar Point during Halloween.

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Cedar Point

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party — Orlando, Florida

Trade spooks for smiles by taking the kids to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (380 kilometers north of Miami, Florida) this Halloween. Look for Halloween-themed events on select dates from September through October, including Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade packed with Disney characters dressed in their favorite Halloween attire. A Halloween party would not be complete without trick-or-treating and this party is no exception. You can grab your bag and fill it with goodies at candy stations throughout the park.

Howl-O-Scream — Tampa, Florida

Head 137 kilometers southwest from Orlando to Tampa, Florida, for Busch Gardens’ annual adrenaline-packed Howl-O-Scream festival on weekends throughout October. Enter the amusement park’s Scare Zones if you dare to see a macabre wonderland filled with creepy characters, cobwebs and 21 themed haunted houses, ranging from zombie hunting to exploring a deserted motel. Try your best to face 13 superstitions to escape the Circus of Superstition 3-D haunted house. The spooky stuff takes place only in Scare Zones, so younger kids can still enjoy the rest of the park.

Bring friends to navigate through Busch Gardens’ haunted theme park.

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Busch Gardens

Hersheypark In The Dark — Hershey, Pennsylvania

A holiday that celebrates candy warrants a visit to the chocolate-themed Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, 153 kilometers northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for its annual Hersheypark in the Dark event. Find an abundance of sweets and treats on October weekends at Hersheypark’s Trick-or-Treat Adventure, where kids come dressed in costumes with bags to fill up with candy from the Hershey’s Chocolate World attraction to Treatville. Expect to grab all of Hershey’s candy bar favorites, from Kisses to Mr. Goodbar.